Smash Hit!

Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson is set to step back into the spotlight, appearing in a multi-episode arc on the upcoming second season of NBC’s musical drama Smash. The star will play Veronica Moore, a Tony-winning stage actress who tangles with the players of Smash’s fictional musical “Bombshell” about the life of Marilyn Monroe. “Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream, but also paid a price for it,” stated NBC’s entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt. “This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business, and that’s a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson.”

Smash also features fellow American Idol veteran Katherine McPhee and executive producer Steven Spielberg, who added: “First Dreamgirls, now Smash. I have no doubt Jennifer will continue to deliver even more inspiration to the audience responsible for giving us a second season on NBC.” Smash is expected to return to the network’s schedule in early 2013.